We regularly invite social organisations into our stores to hold campaigns to collect food and other items. We also participate in fundraising initiatives to support charities.
Portugal
Pingo Doce held 19 campaigns to sell vouchers that could be redeemed for food and other products (more than 30 tonnes of products collected in the case of vouchers exchanged for Private Brand products) to raise funds for institutions that help people in social emergency situations. Organisations such as the Portuguese Food Bank and the Portuguese Red Cross were invited to hold in-store collections, collecting over a million products. In all, Pingo Doce’s customers donated the equivalent of more than 546,000 euros (8% less than in 2023).
During the Christmas campaign, Hussel and Jeronymo teamed up to support the children of SOS Children’s Villages, inviting their customers to offer a jelly sweets product by purchasing vouchers. A total of 224 products were donated.
To support the financial sustainability of third sector organisations and to foster social entrepreneurship, Pingo Doce sells products produced by institutions that are dedicated to fighting social exclusion. Since 2011, we have supported CEERDL – Centro de Educação Especial Rainha Dona Leonor, a cooperative that helps over 500 people with a disability or mental illness. In 2024, Pingo Doce bought over 35,000 mono-lily bouquets from CEERDL, which accounts for around 25% of the cooperative’s annual flower farming revenue. This successful partnership has led to increased production which, in turn, has helped to improve social services and the integration of people with disabilities in the labour market. At the end of the year, CEERDL employed 15 people with disabilities.
Poland
Biedronka carried out several food collection campaigns among customers for people in need. More than 540 tonnes of products were collected, 11% more than in 2023.
Caritas Polska was present at nearly one thousand Biedronka stores to collect food as part of the “Yes, I Help” campaign, collecting over 147 tonnes of food, which was used to offer Easter meals to families in greater need. At Christmas, a similar campaign was held in over 1,050 stores, with 152 tonnes of food collected from the Company’s customers.
The Federation of Polish Food Banks also organised food drives over Easter and Christmas. In March, under the theme “Easter with Dignity, Not with Hunger”, more than 490 stores collected over 70 tonnes of food from their customers and, in November, the “Would you not help us?” campaign saw over 700 stores collect 120 tonnes of food.
As in the previous year, in 2024 Stowarzyszenie Wiosna (Spring Association) launched the Szlachetna Paczka (Noble Gift) project for vulnerable people. The baskets containing food, personal hygiene products, small electrical appliances, clothes, shoes and toys, valued at over 28,000 euros, were prepared by more than 860 volunteer Biedronka employees from store teams, distribution centres and offices. The baskets were donated to a total of 30 families.
At Christmas, the usual “Magnetic przyciąga dobro” (Magnetic Attracts Kindness) campaign was held. The proceeds from the sale of Private Brand Magnetic chocolates were distributed to families in situations of economic vulnerability. Support from Biedronka’s customers saw more than 81,000 euros donated to the association.
Biedronka was once again the main sponsor of the 32nd final of Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy – WOŚP (Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity), the largest charity event in Poland, held in January 2024. Through the sale of official merchandising and the nationwide collection of donations from customers, more than 1.5 million euros were raised, used to purchase and donate equipment to children’s hospitals for the diagnosis, monitoring and rehabilitation of respiratory illnesses in children and adults. In December 2024, the 33rd edition of the event was launched, this time focusing on support in the field of pediatric hematology and oncology.
Hebe provided more than 191,000 euros in indirect support, in partnership with make-up and cosmetic products suppliers, which were donated to institutions that support women, teens and orphans.
Colombia
At Ara, the “Dona tu vuelto” programme, which encourages consumers to round up the value of their purchases, raised more than 668,000 euros.
The amount raised for Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia (SOS Children’s Villages Colombia) was distributed between the “Acogimiento Familiar” (Foster Family) programme, for families at risk of separation, and the “Fortalecimiento de Familias de Origen” (Strengthen Families of Origin) programme, for children and young people taken away from their families. Aldeas Infantiles SOS also works with families in situations of violence and in emergency situations. In 2024, the funds raised helped give more than 5,200 children and young people access to foster care programmes, temporary foster care programmes, programmes to strengthen families of origin, and emergency response programmes.
Ara customers were also invited to contribute to projects supported under the “One Million Reasons” programme, in particular the project to create the first food bank in the Pacific region and UNICEF’s “Ninõs del Futuro” (“Children of the Future”) project.